Buzzy salad chain Sweetgreen arrived on the healthy-fast-food scene in 2007 and has since built up a very loyal fan base that's willing to wait on very long lines. This past summer, the D.C. upstart—launched by three college buddies—earned even more cool cred when it opened a shop in New York's NoMad hotel, inspiring articles everywhere from the New York Times to Serious Eats. Nicolas Jammet is one of the company's young co-CEOs, and he not only has a knack for salad, but he has the restaurant business in his blood. His parents used to own La Caravelle, a New York institution until it closed in 2004, and Nicolas worked as an intern at several eateries, including our own Condé Nast cafeteria. So when Jammet told us he was traveling to Tokyo, we wanted to hear about what kinds of restaurants and experiences would catch the attention of a 28-year-old food mogul. Here's what he found…

When I was younger, my parents fell in love with Japan, and they'd return from their many trips with incredible stories about the culture and cuisine. I decided to finally travel there this year with my twin brother, Patrick. We spent the weeks leading up to the trip researching and getting tips from friends who had visited or lived there. I've included some highlights from our incredible ten-day trip.

Many of my friends recommended this spot, so I made a point to visit. This place is famous for its kogashi ramen that has a black broth made from burnt miso or soy sauce. The charring process gives the ramen a unique color and a smoky flavor unlike any other bowl of ramen I've had. All the other components, including the runny soft-boiled egg, the fatty slice of chashu pork, the naruto and nori only added to the incredible bowl. (1-4-36 NishiAzabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo; 075-254-5567).

The city of Tokyo basically shuts down on January 1 and 2. Most of Tokyo's residents spend the first of the year at temple or outside the city. Pat and I decided to do the same with a two-day excursion to Hakone. Our favorite stop here was at the Hakone Open Air Art Museum, set in a valley among mountains. Apart from the various contemporary sculptures outside, there is a large Picasso collection. The most impressive structure was the Woods of Net by Tezuka Architects. Other highlights of this adventure included the Hakone Jinja Temple, natural hot springs, a cable car ride past Mount Fuji, a ride on Lake Ashinoko, and a traditional Japanese breakfast (Ninotaira, Hakone-Town, Kanagawa-Prefecture, 250-0493 Japan; 0460-82-1161).

This is a dream book emporium. Every city should have a mecca like this. Apart from the endless aisles of books on design, architecture, and food, there is also an incredible collection of literary magazines and vintage books, as well as a perfect café and bar on the second floor to sit, read and drink some tea. I came here planning to stay for 30 to 40 minutes perusing, and ended up spending almost four hours instead. I can't wait to go back (17-5 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; 03-3770-2525).

Tsukiji is the most famous and largest of the fish markets in Tokyo. As one of the more popular attractions to visit, it was recommended to me by just about everyone. A family friend, Yukari, who is also a food and travel writer in Tokyo, toured us around the inner and outer market. If you can get a spot in the tuna auction before dawn, it's an impressive site to see. After seeing all the fish stalls, all you want to eat is sushi for breakfast, so that's what you do! The most famous is Sushi Dai (5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; 81-3-3542-1111).

Pat and I were on a clear mission to find and experience the best sushi we've ever had. We had a few sushi dinners during the trip, and all were amazing, but the standout was Sushi Shin. The chef here used a special kind of vinegar in the sushi rice, which made it almost look like brown rice. Every piece was amazing, especially the otoro (4-18-20 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo; 03-5485-0031).